diff --git a/headers/private/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.h b/headers/private/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.h
index 9d0417594e..aea50e8779 100644
--- a/headers/private/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.h
+++ b/headers/private/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.h
@@ -197,9 +197,6 @@ private:
 			PackageFileSection*	fCurrentSection;
 
 			AttributeHandlerList fAttributeHandlerStack;
-
-			uint8*				fScratchBuffer;
-			size_t				fScratchBufferSize;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/src/kits/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.cpp b/src/kits/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.cpp
index 1deb091ced..17302c0d3e 100644
--- a/src/kits/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.cpp
+++ b/src/kits/package/hpkg/ReaderImplBase.cpp
@@ -767,9 +767,7 @@ ReaderImplBase::ReaderImplBase(const char* fileType, BErrorOutput* errorOutput)
 	fOwnsFD(false),
 	fRawHeapReader(NULL),
 	fHeapReader(NULL),
-	fCurrentSection(NULL),
-	fScratchBuffer(NULL),
-	fScratchBufferSize(0)
+	fCurrentSection(NULL)
 {
 }
 
@@ -782,8 +780,6 @@ ReaderImplBase::~ReaderImplBase()
 
 	if (fOwnsFD && fFD >= 0)
 		close(fFD);
-
-	delete[] fScratchBuffer;
 }
 
 
@@ -1054,14 +1050,6 @@ ReaderImplBase::_Init(int fd, bool keepFD)
 	fFD = fd;
 	fOwnsFD = keepFD;
 
-	// allocate a scratch buffer
-	fScratchBuffer = new(std::nothrow) uint8[kScratchBufferSize];
-	if (fScratchBuffer == NULL) {
-		fErrorOutput->PrintError("Error: Out of memory!\n");
-		return B_NO_MEMORY;
-	}
-	fScratchBufferSize = kScratchBufferSize;
-
 	return B_OK;
 }